M14 AP Mine (Historical Prop)

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The M15 mine is a small (58 mm [2.3 in] diameter) anti-personnel land mine first deployed by the United States circa 1956.[1] The M15 mechanism uses a bellows spring to flip a firing pin downwards into a stab detonator when pressure is applied. Once deployed, the M15 is very difficult to detect because it is a minimum metal mine, i.e. most of its components are plastic. Because of this, the design was later modified to ease mine clearance via the addition of a steel plate, welded onto the base of the mine. Deployment: An M15 mine, showing a cutaway view. The presence of a U-shaped safety clip and the location of the arrow on the pressure plate clearly shows that this mine has been disarmed. The top of an M15 has a simple arming indicator (an arrow embossed on the pressure plate) which can point to either D(isarmed) or A(rmed), giving a clear indication of its status. When the arrow points to "D", the M15 will not detonate if stepped on. Arming the M15 requires the disarming steps to be performed in reverse. However, due to the possibility of a booby trap or some other type of anti-handling device being fitted underneath, it is often standard demining practice to destroy land mines in situ, without attempting to remove and disarm them. The M15 has not been in active US service since 1975. However, as of 2011 the United States retains a stockpile of 2 million mines held in reserve for emergency use on the Korean peninsula, because they are regarded as reliable and effective weapons. This mine has been widely exported and used by various countries, so uncleared minefields containing M15s do exist. The M15 has been found in Algeria, Bangladesh, Congo, Egypt, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Yemen. Additionally, copies of the M15 design have been manufactured locally by countries such as China and Vietnam. There are indications that as of 2012, an unlicensed copy of the M15 landmine was being manufactured in Cambodia by Royal Cambodian Armed Forces at Kandal Province, in the southwest part of the country.[2] The mine is extensively used by the local Khmer Rouge forces.[3][4] Just as with the VS-MK3 (35 gram explosive charge), SB-34 (37 gram charge) or PMA-5 (37 gram charge), the 31 grams of high explosive in an M15 mine is quite small because it is specifically designed to disable victims, not kill them. Although the blast wound from an M15 is unlikely to be fatal (assuming that prompt emergency medical care is provided) it usually destroys a significant part of the victim's foot, thereby leading to some form of permanent disability regarding their gait. The fact that the explosive charge in an M15 is slightly cone shaped (like a shaped charge) focuses most of the blast upwards, increasing its destructive effects. In situations where M15 victims are barefoot or wearing sandals (e.g. in Somalia), the wounds are more severe.[5] Due to the relative simplicity of the firing mechanism, the M15 mine is not resistant to blast-clearing methods, unlike more modern antipersonnel mine designs such as the TS-52 mine. Specifications: Weight: 120 grams Explosive content: 31 grams (1.1 ounce) of Tetryl Diameter: 58 mm Height: 42 mm Operating pressure: 10 to 18 kilograms